₦airaland Forum

@ bumdish and Loveking - I get so many e-mails and believe me half of them turn out to be spam. Loveking, I'm sure we've been in communication, bumdish, not sure if I've responded to your original e-mail I will check again to make sure, e no easy to combine this with a Full time job, be patient with me

@ rockafela - it is OK for your uncle to sponsor you even without the same last name (your uncle doesn't necessarily have to have the same last name as you). So, as isO_Savvy as suggested, all you have to do is provide information that will establish your relationship. In theory, it shouldn't matter who your sponsor is even if it is an outsider (I mean if your employer can sponsor you, why can't anyone else), however, the onus is on you to be able to prove to the visa office what the sponsor stands to gain from sponsoring you (as in the case with an employer sponsorship), or if on the other hand it's a family in which case they are doing so for your well being.

Essentially what I'm saying is once you've been able to establish your solid relationship with your uncle, you can also have, say your parents or any other person that is capable as co-sponsor. Anyway, I hope everything goes well for you. Continue to ask questions and do your research too.

@ chizquare - as soon as you have yourself settled into your program in Canada. It's all about how soon you want your wife to join you. And yes, she will be coming into Canada as a visitor and that will be her status, however, Canadian Immigration rule permits her to obtain Employment Authorization (work permit), if she so desire and this will give her better status in Canada than just being an ordinary visitor, plus, she's able to work and supplement your available funds.

@ chizquare, my apologies. I had read that to me the US rather than University of Saskatchewan. Well, it is very possible to have your spouse go with you to study however it is often a safeguard if you have a spouse back in Nigeria as that will be a confirmation that you're not intending to leave Nigeria for Canada. Essentially, your wife becomes your concrete tie to Nigeria, and a good and valid reason why you'll not stay after your studies.

Having said, that, it is absolutely possible to have your wife along with you when you leave for your studies.

Also, there is the option to have your wife join you later, which is what I've seen a lot of people do. Once you get to Canada, you can send a letter of invitation to your wife and she can easily apply for a visitor's visa to Canada. Again, this is route that I've seen a lot of people taken in the past.

Let me know if you do have any other question or concern

@ loveking, got your message, will be responding shortly

@ chizsquare - unfortunately, this forum is about Canada, not sure if there are people in the house that can advise you. I live in Canada and my knowledge of US immigration is not that extensive and I cannot claim to be an expert in that department, anyone in the house wanna help?

@ amdman - Everytime you apply to study at any instititution in Canada, you are required to submit the results from all previous educational institution you have attended and this will include the Law School. I believe since you have a relatively low GPA from the University program, showing your result from the Law School may work to your advantage.

@ Feichi - this agent thing about Canada don tire me o! Please in the name of God, don't throw your money in the garbage. I've received e-mails from individuals that have been scammed by these so called agents! My advise for you is that you need to be pro-active yourself especially in this day and age when information technology is at your disposal. Go to www.cic.gc.ca and review the information to educate yourself about the process of immigrating to Canada. Again, be very careful about this so called agent, if it looks too good to be true, you're are probably right.

@ MeNutty, yes, they will accept a combination of your results, in fact, it is expected that you submitt all of your transcripts from previous studies. Every school in Canada will accept your results provided you meet their qualifying marks. So, do your research by review this site and look at the different universities in Canada - http://www.aucc.ca/can_uni/our_universities/index_e.html

With respect to TOEFL, most universities will waive it for Nigerian students. Double check with the school just to make sure, sometimes, due to ignorant, there is the assumption that Nigeria is not an English speaking country hence, one reason why some univerisities will eroniously ask for TOEFL, but you can fight it by proving your English competency to them. By the way, when you do so, make sure you really prove yourself and desist from using any of the internet lingo that has become pervasive amongst our people. Drop me an e-mail if you require further assistance (and I'm not sure if you're the same person that recently wrote me)

@ LoveKing - yes, I have responded to your e-mail

@ mailty - Well, if you are looking for accommodation around the south end of Halifax which is essentially where Dalhousie is located, it can be very pricey! However, most students prefer to live very close to the campus so they won't have to commute especially during Winter

However, if you're willing to live in someone's basement apartment or get a room in someones house, it may be cheaper for you. However, you may be losing some freedom that you'd have loved to have.

The farther away you are from the south end or central halifax the cheaper it may be for you (again, depending on the type of accommodation) but then, you will have to travel on the bus or get a vehicle to get to school.

I can make some quick calls for you to see where things are with respect to the best student accommodation in town, Have you started working on getting your visa yet?

@ mailty - those who said that have probably not lived in Nova Scotia before. While it is true that economically the province is not on the same level as Ontario and some other bigger provinces, it is also a fact that if you are able to secure the right employment here, you are much better off than going to live in the so called "prosperous" provinces. Having said that, it's all about individual. I love it here and will never trade it for anywhere in Canada. Mind you, I've lived in 5 of the provinces before (including Ontario), so I'm speaking from experience.

Nevertheless, if your lifestyle is geared towards a place that is "wet" (per your reference to the dryness in Nova Scotia), you can still come here and study at Dal (which is by the way, one of the oldest and best universities in Canada), and then make your way to any province of your choice. There is no reason why you have to stay here in Nova Scotia.

In comparison to some other provinces, cost of living here is relatively lower than other places, you should be able to find a decent apartment for at least $500 - $700 per month, depending on where you wan to reside. If I'm renting an apartment in my house, that's probably the range I would be looking at. Anyway, I hope all goes well for you.

@ Delta, the assumption I made was that poster resides in Nigeria, in wich case, I will strongly recommend they be present at Alagbon. You're right that those who are not physcially present in Nigeria can have it done provided they have a certified fingerprints usually by the law enforcement in the country where they reside.

@ mailty, are applying for a Master's or an undergraduate degree? If the former, then you do not need a high school trascript. You only require your post-secondary education transcripts. However, if you're applying for an undergraduate degree, then your WAEC result is the equivalent of your final High School Transcripts.

Personal Statement - a document briefly describing your educational and/or professional experience (including publications, awards and relevant employment), your graduate program goals, and your reasons for wanting to attend Dalhousie. Explain any gaps or deficiencies in your academic record, or any other factors you wish to have taken into account.

Letter Outlining Your life and Work Experiences - This will essentially be your Curriculum Vitae or Resume.

Feel free to ask any question you may have about Dal. I am an alumnus and I live in around Halifax where Dal is located.

@bumdish - I will check and respond to your e-mail ASAP.

@ bedos, you've got your information about the location right. You just have to be physically present to have it done since finger printing is also included and going by dell_net's contribution, the certificate will be issued to you and you will have to submit it as part of your required documentation.

Delta007:
There's no faster one. She can call both to see which one will give her an appointment asap. They both have to send the results to Paris, which is where the delay occurs. However, she's in pretty good shape, timewise if she is shooting for the Fall (Sept).

As for the sponsorship, she probably needs to send updated bank statements which should be consistent with what she initially sent.

@ Delta007 - Well said!

@kurungu, when you said school resumes in May, is she planning on taking summer courses? Most schools resume in the Fall (September). As Delta said, if September is the target, there will be enough time between the receipt of the medical tests and the conclusion of the whole process. However, if she's planning to start in May, time may not be on her side. So, I would suggest she starts aiming for the Fall.

And make sure the information on the account statement => the one on the previous statement to avoid anything that may be detrimental to the process.

@ babsharon - I'm sure every school has it's policy regarding the tuition payment. I think the minimum payment that is being referred to here is probably some form of deposit which may be x% of the total tuiton. This may be a proof of payment that will be submitted to the High Commission for your visa. Again, if in doubt, it's always best to check with the school in question.

@ all, for the benefit of those asking the same question here about the required documentation, here is a place you can find out what you need to apply for study visa in Canada:

http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/nigeria/assets/pdfs/visas/53_1_eng.pdf
This provides you a checklist of all the documentation you will have to submit with your application for student visa if you applying from Nigeria. If something is not mentioned here on the checklist, I will advise not to include it, otherwise you may end up opening another can of worm.

I hope everyone will take the time to read this link as it essentially answers all these question about tax clearances and other documentations. If you're intending to go and become a student in Canada, it is worth taking the time to review the information in this link, read it, understand it and that should answer all of your questions.

And for general information about applying for student visa, here is the guideline provided by Citizenship and Immigration Canada for everyone, again, read it, and understand the content therein - http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/5269E.PDF


Good luck to you all,

@tosinohso1992 - thanks for the correction. I had meant to dwell on the fact that studies beyond undergraduate degrees are referred to as graduate studies including up to PhD level. Not sure how I got back to making reference again to post-graduate studies.

Thank you for buttressing my comment about the fact that GPA is not all in all, there are many other extenuating but important factors that are taking into consideration for graduate studies. Guess your word sums it up for those who are contemplating graduate studies in Canada (or anywhere for that matter) that at that level you quit being a consumer of knowledge and join the elite of knowlege producers, couldn't have said it any better.

@ all, the reality is that everyone is assessed on an individual basis when it comes to Graduate studies (by the way, in North America, Master's programs are usually referred to as graduate programs rather than post-graduate which is usually used to referred to studies at the PHD level or studies beyond a Master's program) and for international students, it becomes even more challenging as you're competing for the very limited spots available. Plus, remember, you're not just competing with other Nigerian students you're competing with students from all over the world therefore, a GPA of 2.2 will certainly not cut it. While it is through that some might have been admitted into MUN with a 2.2 GPA, I believe this is not in anyway an official policy of MUN, rather, it was probably based on the overall assessment of the individual, the available spots, the program and how competitive that particular year for admission must have been. So, again, it not a norm in my own opinion rather consider it an exception.

For those that have been rejected by MUN, I would advise you contact them and ask if there is a qualifying program that you can be admitted into (usually for a year) which will enable you to spruce up your marks and then re-apply into the Master's program.

@ babsharon - the minimum admission for Master's program in all universities in Canada is a B average. Now having said that, everyone is considered on an individual basis. So, it is possible that someone with a 2.2 will be admitted based on other extenuating factors (which we may not know about and which they probably did not reveal to you). There is no university in Canada that will advertise that they will admit you with a 2.2 GPA, however, if you can contact the school directly you can discuss your situation and I believe they are able to work with you based on space, your situation and how competivite the program is. For some program, you do not even stand a chance with a GPA of at least 3.2.

If you're looking fora listing of all Canadian Universities go check out the Association of Univerisities and Colleges of Canada at http://www.aucc.ca/can_uni/our_universities/index_e.html

Wish you all the best, and hopefully we'll see you in Canada some day.

tomiwaoluy:
Good day @ all,
I have been making check on schools in canada for undergraduate programm in Electrical engineering and I have decided to make my application tomorrow which is Monday,I have checked all necessary things and everything seems 2 b ok but I need to throw this issue to d house calling on yall home and abroad (Delta,ezinwann,aydewale, )Everybody should comment pls.

University of Manotoba
University of Dalhouise
University of Windsor

How do I pay them?am I to send d application fee to each school? Read something abt one compass organization,a body which receives an application fee and send it to each schools.Abeg mk una gimme info as I go pay and send my application to each schools,break down.

Thanks.

@ tomiwaoluy - the only province that has a centralized post secondary application is Ontario, so in this case, your statement about "compass organization" will be applicable to Ontario where you can apply through the Ontario Applicaition Centre (you can google this, as I notice posting links here makes my posts ended up treated like spams). So, contact the centre and you can be able to apply to 3 different institutions. But OUAC only deals with undergraduate and professional programs (such as Law, Teaching, Medicine). They do not deal with graduate and post graduate programs. I believe the fee is $125 and you can pay extra to register for more than 3 universities.

As for Dalhousie, I can actually tell you more about it as I am an alumnus. Just contact the registrar's office and you can pay using Credit Card since you will be applying online, unless you want to send them an International Money Order. Dal is a great place to study and I can tell you you will like it.

Manitoba will be similar to Dalhousie in terms of application process, contact them and send your fees directly to the school either using a credit card or international money order.

Hope that answers some of your questions

@ mikkyangel, this Belvic thing is till very confounding as I'm not sure exactly how they make the employment arrangement for people. Do you know which company in Canada they are affiliated with? I can certainly verify with such companies. I've seen people got burnt and it wouldn't be nice for you to be a victim either here in Nigeria or after gettting to Canada.

In the meantime, we can still give Belvic the benefit of a doubt and not completely dismiss them as fraud but I would certainly proceed with caution.

Per your other question, there can only be one application for Work Permit with CIC at the same time. I do not see how you can have multiple applications with them. If you are talking about increasing your chances of getting offer of employment by working with agencies that can do that for you, absolutely, you are merely increasing your chances at fulfilling one of the requirements for obtaining a work permit - which is to get a job. But as far as application with CIC, you cannot have multiple applications.

@chuksvoice - I hope you understand where everyone is coming from. I mean, you should read what you have posted up here yourself and also the content of the link you included. Unless, you're dealing with someone who is completely out of touch with reality, then, only then will you have any credibility.

By the way, there is no point in challenging you. This attempt will not work. I live in Canada (and by the way, been here for almost 2 decades) so I know what I'm talking about.

So, it's time to clean up your act and invest your energy in something more resourcesful,

@ shakers, with most of the denial that I have seen, the High Commission would explain in a letter the reason for rejection rather than stamping the passport with the word "REJECT". And this is in Visitor's, Student and Immigrant cases.

I'm sure anyone who has been rejected can contribute to this too.

@dyvinson7 - thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention. One thing that I need to let people know is that this is a Christian based school and their mission statement says it - "The King's University College exists to provide university education that inspires and equips learners to bring renewal and reconciliation to every walk of life as followers of Jesus Christ, the Servant-King. King’s isn’t out just to equip you for success in society; King’s is out to equip you to be ambassadors of reconciliation, people with a heart for God’s project of making all things new. This big, bold and hopeful vision sets King’s apart from any "ordinary" university."

So, this would be a great place for those who want solid education in a Christian or faith based environment.

Also, it is important that they only have undergraduate programs except for the education program which is a second undergraduate program.

It is a recognized school and it is a member or so many bodies including the association of canadian universities and colleges. This may also explain their tuition (though Alberta tuition is, in general more reasonable compared to most other provinces.

sunky644:
@Ayoalade, its Advanced Diploma in Food Safety, I read Biochemistry, food safety is an aspect of Nutritional Biochemistry which is actually the aspect I want to be specialised and the aspect I did my undergraduate research project. I hope it will not sound somehow if my wife is accompanying me to Canada when i'm having a 1year study permit or me accompanying her with her 4years study permit. Also, as for Birth Certificate, mine is from the private hospital I was born which has been with me since the early 80s, hope its tenable or I have to get from the local government or from National Population Commission?

Well, based on the information you have provided, looks like your purpose of going for an Advanced Diploma is justifiable and it would further advance your career, nevertheless, you will have to make sure you build a solid case around this fact. With respect to your wife accompanying you to Canada, is she also applying for a student visa (you seemed to have inferred in your post)? Provided you've met all the requirement for visa application, I do not see why you both cannot go to Canada together. So, I would encourage you to build your case and gather all of the required documentation for your visa applications.

Regarding your Birth Certificate, my previous comment was made under the assumption that the historical birth certificate was obtained from the registrar of birth. So, not quite sure how this would play out but if anything, the age of the document should make it more authentic.

@MAN IU - Well, I would say it all depends on what program you're contemplating. Why don't you research the program of interest i.e. at Master level, and from thier you can contact the school directly and they should be able to advise you. If you're anything like me, I always like to hear from the horse's mouth. That way, you are certain that once your Advanced Diploma is concluded, you will be eligible to apply for the Master's program.

So, certainly, it is very possible to proceed to a master's program. If you want to research some master's program, check out the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. Here is the link to the site http://oraweb.aucc.ca/dcu_e.html

I hope everything goes well. You're surely enjoy Toronto once you start attending Humber. All the best.

@guddylover - why don't you start by writing one and posting here for the house to review and critic? Afterall, it is a personal statement of purpose. Your own input will assist us to see things from your point of view and we can guide you appropriately. That sounds to me a logical approach rather than using a one size fits all approach which, from my experience doesn't always work for everyone.

@ cindel07 - I would advise you to submit your original birth certificate. Such documents are required to establish your citizenship in Nigeria and believe me, Canadian Visa office is very keen on the presentation of historical document, getting something recent to estbalish your status in Nigeria might backfire. So, your original birth certificate will give some credibility.

Also, with respect to the documents you need to submit to the visa office, check out this link and possibly download the guide and read through it as it tells you all you need to submit with your application - http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/5269E.PDF

If you require further assistance you can contact me at canadaforum@hotmail.ca

Take care

@ sunky644 - if you don't mind me asking, what kind of Advanced Diploma Program did you apply for? And where? In theory, there shouldn't be any reason to be denied a visa because of your age all things being equal. Once you have provided all the supporting documentation and have made a worthy and convincing case about how this "Advanced Diploma" is further going to advance your career endeavours and why you have chosen Canada as the place to study together with all the fundalmental things such as financial resources (especially where you will be taking your wife with you), then you should be OK.

@ marcleo - yes I have been and that is one of my reason for coming here to Nairaland to see whatever I can do to make people's transition to Canada pain free. I believe it would be nice to offer some insight based on mine and other's personal experiences.

With regards to relocating to NS or AB, it all depends on what your plans are. Are you still an International Student? In that case you're probably considering transfering to another school. So, your intended program would determine which province you want to head to.

Economically, Alberta is thriving better than Nova Scotia but then, everything has it's own perspective. I love the quiet family oriented life and that is why I chose Nova Scotia over Toronto. If you're planning to work in the energy industry - Oil and Gas, then Alberta will be the province of choice.

In terms of cost of living, Nova Scotia will fear better than Alberta. So, again, the decision to go to any province, at the end of the day boils down to what's motivating you, Many people thought I was insane when I moved here from Toronto about 15 years ago

@ifegy - thanks for your comment

@mailty - free free to ask any question you may have and I will try to answer to benefit everyone here. However, if you have any question that you wouldn't want to put in the public forum, you can e-mail me at canadaforum@hotmail.ca

@ mailty - I should say, welcome to Dalhousie University, one of Canada's oldest and illustrious universities. I can say that because I am an alumnus.

You will certainly enjoy your study here in Nova Scotia, though compared to places like Toronto, Montreal and other big cities, Halifax, is not on the same level in terms of diversity, polulation and the bustling big city life. However, it is big enough that you will not miss the luxury that comes with living in a big city and at the same time will still enjoy the tranquility of a small and down to heart society.

Dalhousie is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia is essentially a province sitting right along the Atlantic Ocean. The population of the whole province is just shy of a million! So, if you're coming from Lagos, be prepared for a big shocker! Being on the East Coast, you are essentially living in a place that is more or less an Island. Halifax it's largest city and where you will be living has a population of just over 300 thousand and it is a city as I previously mentioned that offers all the benefit of living in a big city and still provide the low key life that you will find in small towns. I should also mention that Nova Scotia is a great place to raise children. Over the last few years, the province has become quite diverse in it's population. There is now a large Nigerian community here compared to about 15 years ago when I first moved here. So, you should be able to connect with our people here if you want to. The Black student advisor at Dalhousie is a Nigerian and she's a very good friend of mine. That should be a good place to visit once you get to Dal.

I believe you will be hearing from Dal soon, if you have any concern, just send a quick e-mail to the register's office.

I look forward to welcoming you to Dal, please do let me know when you will be in town as we can come and give you a good welcome right from the airport.